Page 18 of Tethered

“Then you can go. I’ve already told you she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

“Poppy—”

“I said no.” I seethe, not bothering to hide the hurt in my voice.

He moves closer, but Riggs backs us up, keeping space between us.

“She didn’t come home last night, and neither did Hannah. I have to make sure they’re okay.”

“And of course my word isn’t good enough, is it?” And dammit, I can’t hide the bitterness either.

“It’s okay, Calliope.” I turn my head at the sound of Dawn’s voice. She has her arms wrapped around her middle as she stays back, but she doesn’t hide from Shepard.

I glance around and don’t see Hannah. I take a relieved sigh and turn back to Shepard, who looks at Dawn with gritted teeth.

“He do that?”

“You know he did,” Dawn replies.

“You’re gonna make a statement. I can pick him up?—”

“No. It didn’t work the other times he was picked up and taken in, and I doubt it will work now. All it does is piss him off, and he takes it out on me.”

“This time could be different. Maybe this time, he might actually see some real jail time.”

“And you want me to risk myself and my daughter on a maybe?”

Shepard yanks his hat off and runs his hands through his hair in agitation. “You know he’s going to make this hard for you, Dawn.”

“Are you fucking serious?” I hiss before she can answer.

“Without her pressing charges, my hands are tied. You think I fucking like this?” he snaps at me.

“No, but I don’t like your insinuation that she should go back either.”

“That’s not what I said,” he growls at me.

Riggs jumps in. “Alright, everyone, calm the fuck down.”

“As you can see, Sheriff, Dawn is fine now that she is here with us, where we can and will keep her and Hannah safe.”

“And I’m grateful for that, but you don’t know what this man is like. I know you got a taste,” he says to me before looking back at Dawn. “But Dawn knows how vindictive he can be. He’ll push for custody of Hannah just because he can.”

“He can try, but he won’t be getting his hands on her,” I hiss.

He shakes his head. “He has a lot of friends down here, and Dawn has…”

“None. You can say it out loud, Sheriff. That’s what happens when you’re forced to give them up because he either turns them to his side or threatens them as a way to control me. No. I’m not going back. I’m staying here and so is Hannah. Let him take me to court. The man doesn’t even know the date of his child’s birthday,” Dawn says, sounding exhausted.

Shepard puts his hat back on before looking at me, his eyes full of remorse when he speaks. “The fact you’re living with two convicted criminals will go against you.”

I rear back as if he struck me, and Riggs snarls in response. But it’s Dawn who walks forward and down the steps until she’s right in front of Shepard, pointing her finger at him.

“Riggs and Calliope have done more for Hannah and me than my husband has in years. Do you know Riggs baked cookieswith Hannah yesterday? Her father has never even made her a fucking sandwich. And do you know why he was baking with her? So he could distract her from seeing her mother black and blue again, help her forget about the handprint on her face, and so that Calliope could sneak me upstairs and help me clean away the remnants of my husband’s brand of loving from my thighs.”

Riggs goes rigid at my back. Shepard looks like he wants to pull his gun and shoot her husband himself.

I pull away from Riggs and walk down to stand next to Dawn, my hand slipping into her shaking one so I can lend her courage. Though if you ask me, this woman has it in spades and doesn’t know it.